Latest US News


  • Viper’s Got Talent October 1, 2013 Viper's Got Talent
    David Chapman who has been sailing Fer De Lance with Glyn Locke and Ian Nicholson, showed the match racing circuit a bit of Viper talent when he won the Chicago Match Race Center Invitation A event last week. He had to snake past the #1 ranked World Match Racing Circuit skipper and tactician along the way. David “Chappo” Chapman aka “The Closer” got talent! From the Regatta Report: “The penultimate Grade 3 events in the 2013 season of the Chicago Match Race Center ended with young Australian talent David Chapman winning the Invitational A event (Sept 26-27). Chapman topped a field of eight teams from four nations. Teams represented an interesting cross-section of established and emerging talent. For example, as its founding member Don Wilson has been at CMRC in nearly every event in the last five years, and has climbed to be ...
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  • Three Winners at CORK. August 27, 2013
    Vicious Panda wins CORK and Great Lakes Championship. Rum Theory wins Canadian Championship (2nd in regatta and top Canadian Boat) Argentinean sailor wins the online version of the CORK- EFG Pan American Series. Young Olympic hopeful from South Africa takes the lead in the EFG online series (and would like to come to Miami) All this, daily race recaps, and pictures at: https://www.viper640.org/efgpanam/ Full results from CORK
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  • Better Know A Viperer: Ed Feo August 18, 2013Better Know A Viperer: Ed Feo
    Those of you on the West Coast and maybe some of you from the East Coast have had the pleasure to meet and sail against Ed Feo over the past couple years in the Viper. Ed has been very active in the fleet and a great addition to the group. Many of you might not know this, and he is much too humble to mention it, but Ed is one of the best Karaoke singers on the West Coast. Look for him at the NAs in Houston, buy him a beer and challenge him to a round of karaoke! What is your home port: Long Beach, CA Viper owned: “Locomotion” US 104. This was the boat sailed successfully by Tim Carter. I named the boat “Locomotion” after my prior boat, which was an Andrews 45. I had a bunch of gear with ...
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  • Small is Beautiful. Noel Leigh-Smith and Team “Viper QLD” dominate at Airlie Race Week August 16, 2013
    https://www.viper640.org/efgpanam/
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  • EFG Pan American Championship Qualification Series moves to Cowes August 1, 2013
    This week there are two further stages to the EFG Pan American Championships Qualification Series . Both are in the Solent UK. One is online and Sportboat sailors from around the world can participate. The other is on the water and starts on Saturday August 3rd.   For news and pictures, please go to https://www.viper640.org/efgpanam/
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  • More Great Pictures From Newport July 29, 2013
    Check them out: https://www.viper640.org/efgpanam/
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  • Ched’s Perspective! Sail trim and tactics from the maestro at Newport July 17, 2013Ched's Perspective! Sail trim and tactics from the maestro at Newport
    After sailing the last two Viper regattas as crew I decided it would be fun to steer at the Bacardi Newport Regatta and get a different perspective. Kay and Karen were kind enough to offer up their Viper #98  and I quickly accepted. There were, as always, a bunch of things I learned over the weekend about Viper sailing… I was joined by Jamie Ewing, my regular Lightning middle man, and my son Charlie Proctor as crew. This put us right around 500 lbs total crew weight and provided us with lots of hiking power and the strength I believe is required to make a Viper perform in a breeze. Sail Newport did two separate score sheets for the weekend. ...
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  • High Sierra Regatta – Pacific Coast Championships 2013 July 17, 2013
    This year’s 2013 Pacific Coast Championships took place in one of the most remote and scenic venues on the west coast – Huntington Lake in the High Sierras. This year marked the 60th Anniversary for the High Sierra Regatta, hosted and run by Fresno Yacht Club volunteers. Footage from one of the Friday starts captured by Glenn Vanheel: Friday, the Vipers opted to sail an additional 3 races for the PCCs, which turned out to be the only windward/leeward races of the regatta. Special thanks to our own Glenn Vanheel and Mark Heinrichs, who volunteered to be race committee from the shore. They only had to use the I flag once after a general recall to keep the Vipers on their best behavior. The races themselves saw anything but your typical Huntington Lake breeze or courses. The boats that played it conservatively ...
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  • Ontearing It Up July 9, 2013 Ontearing It Up
    The Great Lakes Viper Fleet had our ‘Ontario Championships’ June 29-30 at the Sarnia Yacht Club. As always, Southern Lake Huron did not disappoint providing plenty of wind, and some of the best fresh water sailing conditions on the planet.  Viper sailors were treated to 2 days of very well run races (thank you Brad and Brandy Boston and family) at a great facility and the chance to connect during the Doyle Boston sponsored BBQ after each day’s racing. Conditions were excellent resulting in 10 races and some very tight racing.   Saturday – 6 Races Sailed – 10-15 kts, 2-3’ waves partly to sunny skies, 75 degrees. Sunday – 4 Races Sailed – 8-12 kts, 2-3’ waves, overcast 73 degrees. (Close racing on Sunday – pictures courtesy of Brandy Boston) Video footage from Black Sheep (#29) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_mKvuTaPo8
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  • EFG Pan American Viper 640 VIRTUAL Sport Boat Championships – Online! July 6, 2013
    The Viper 640 Class Association, EFG International and SailX.com announces a series of online regattas . The racing will be hosted by Sailx.com.  Participants will be racing against each other in real time in simulated Viper/skiffs. SailX is easy to use. The tactics and performance of the boats are very realistic. Sailx will improve your real world tactical skills. You will be racing directly against other Viper teams and other sailors. Above all, this is fun. For more details, please go to https://www.viper640.org/efgpanam/
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  • Lake Garda Euro Cup – Snow in June July 2, 2013
    The European qualifier for the EFG Pan American Championship was completed on Lake Garda this weekend.  Pictures and news on the Pan American page here: https://www.viper640.org/efgpanam/ + more pictures from LBRW.
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  • Long Beach Race Week 2013 July 1, 2013
    Long Beach Race Week was the first regatta in the EFG Pan Am qualifying series.  A full recap with photos will appear here in a couple of days, but in the meantime, check out the brand new EFG Pan American Championship blog for updates. “After three days of racing, the top three boats were only separated by one point.  This was easily the closest racing in a major Viper regatta that anyone can remember…….” For more information about LBRW’s Pan Am scores and further information about the EFG Pan American Championship, please go to dedicated Pan American page : https://www.viper640.org/efgpanam/
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  • The Other CRW: Cal Race Week 2013 June 23, 2013
    At the beginning of June, the West Coasts Vipers rallied for Cal Race Week in Marina Del Rey. Once again, the Vipers lead the charge of largest one design start with 11 boats on the line. New to the class, but definitely not new to sailing, rockstars Kevin Taugher, Mike Pentecost and Garrett Brown dominated with 3 bullets, one 2nd and one 3rd. Team BITUSA and FNG couldn’t let team Hot Mess have all of the fun, each finishing with 1 bullet for the weekend. There were also a couple boats that traveled 5+ hours to compete: Reid Smythe (proud new viper owner from MPYC) and Steve Brown (have boat will travel from AYC). Final results posted here.
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  • Better Know a Viperer: Paul Zinger June 21, 2013 Better Know a Viperer: Paul Zinger
    If you’ve been to the major east coast Viper regattas over the past year, you may have noticed a shadowy character chain smoking in the drysail area, doing his best to close down every regatta party, and trying to soak up every bit of Viper knowledge and trivia the fleet is willing to share.  That’d be Paul Zinger, certified sailing addict.  Despite having been coached by some of the greatest sailors of his generation in junior sailing and college, he can often be found where the trouble is, both on and off the racecourse.  The Man They Call Zinger doesn’t even own a Viper, using his New York City street savvy to beg, borrow, and burglar other people’s Vipers for the past season, skippering several major class events.   How does he do it?  And will he steal your boat next, ...
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